Coliseum Turns Into Wind Tunnel for a Day / Gusts limit offenses, affect game decisions

David Steele, Chronicle Staff Writer

Published 4:00 am, Monday, October 23, 2000

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Wind gusts kicked up dust along the sideline as photographers attempted to focus through the blurry images. Chronicle photo by Mike Kepka

Wind gusts kicked up dust along the sideline as photographers attempted to focus through the blurry images. Chronicle photo by Mike Kepka

Photo: CHRONICLE

Coliseum Turns Into Wind Tunnel for a Day / Gusts limit offenses, affect game decisions

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Everyone got a chance to practice impressions of John Facenda, the voice of NFL Films, and few passed it up. "The autumn wind is a Raider" was heard early and often around Network Associates Coliseum yesterday, as paper cups and wrappers swirled around the parking lot, concourses and on the field.

For those in other parts of the East Bay who had to deal with fallen trees, downed power lines and brush fires, the warm, windy afternoon was nothing to laugh about. Circumstances were far less dire at the Coliseum, but the gusts of up to 50 mph did play a role in the Raiders' 31-3 win over Seattle.

"It was blowin'," said Raiders coach Jon Gruden. "The biggest decision we had to make was whether to take the wind on the opening kickoff. It was a tough call. It was a swirly wind, a gusty wind."

If you weren't paying close attention, you'd swear you were in Candlestick Park in midsummer, instead of on the other, milder side of the bay in the fall. The flags atop the goal posts were blown in a different direction virtually every few minutes. At one point, amazingly, both sets of flags were pointing toward midfield; at another, the paper that blew across the grass throughout the game was blowing straight up at the 50-yard line.

"It was terrible out there today. I've never seen the wind like that in California," said cornerback Eric Allen, in his 13th NFL season. "And I think it helped us a little bit. Once we went up, (the Seahawks) had to really limit their game plan to the medium- and short- range passes instead of going deep."

The Seahawks were unable to go long to try to get back into the game in the second half, but they were adjusting their game plan to the weather conditions long before that. The Raiders did choose to receive the opening kickoff, not having a clue as to how the wind would be blowing by game's end. They went three and out on their first series, then saw punter Shane Lechler uncork a 67-yard kick that took off as if on the crest of a tidal wave.

Problem was, on that punt and at least one other, the ball traveled downfield so fast that Seattle's Charlie Rogers had room and time to get off good returns.

Seattle's first (and only) points came on its first possession, when Rian Lindell's 44-yard field goal -- into the wind, as best as anyone could tell -- carried perfectly. But going the other way early in the second quarter, into the wind and trailing 7-3, coach Mike Holmgren passed on trying a 47-yarder and went for it on 4th-and-11 at the Raiders' 31. Brock Huard under-threw Darrell Jackson, and the Raiders took over on downs.

"We had a couple of good things going," Holmgren said. "I thought we could score a touchdown. The wind was really unusual. The kickers had a rough day today."

At the end of the half, going in the same direction, Lindell missed a 43-yarder that bent right almost from the time it left his foot, and the Raiders maintained their 14-3 lead. Sebastian Janikowski hit his only attempt, a 32- yarder early in the fourth, when the game was well in hand.

Rich Gannon said that his lone interception of the day, early in the third quarter, came thanks to the wind. "I didn't think it was a huge factor, except the interception was terrible. I really was kicking myself," he said. Tim Brown was in a cushion between defenders on the left side, but a wind gust forced him to come back to the pass, and he lost a tussle for the ball with Willie Williams.

"I was in between putting some air under it and throwing it firm. It was a terrible, terrible throw," Gannon lamented.

The Seahawks did take pains not to blame the wind for a four-touchdown loss. "The weather conditions were the same for both teams," said linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski. "The wind is no excuse for us."